Cold and Lost
by zeusfluff
Summary: While picking flowers for her mother, 4 year old Laura Riker finds herself lost on a planet she's never been to before. Can her parents find her in time?
1. Cold and Lost

**Cold and Lost**

Author: ZeusFluff.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Star Trek characters. But I do own Laura. Date Started: 6/17/14. Date Finished: 6/17/14. Summary: While picking flowers for her mother, 4 year old Laura Riker finds herself lost on a planet she's never been to before. Can her parents find her in time? Hope you will all enjoy! Thanks!

* * *

Laura was cold. Shivering, she sat down on the rock near a lake and started to cry. The flowers she'd picked for mommy had long been forgotten about. Drawing her legs up towards her chest, she rested her knees against them.

"Daddy!"

But Laura didn't know her daddy couldn't hear her. He was too far away. How far away, she didn't know. She was even colder now, since the sun was beginning to set. Curling up on the rock, Laura closed her eyes and hoped that mommy and daddy would find her soon. She did her best to block out the strange sounds that were coming from all around her.

* * *

"You _lost _her! _You _lost my baby! You should've had a closer eye on her!"

Will had never heard his wife speak to him like this before. She was usually the cool and level headed one in any situation. But there were the occasional spats between the two. Riker began pacing the conference lounge. Looking out the window, he made eye contact with the spinning green planet the _Enterprise _was orbiting. He worried for his daughter. Only recently having been diagnosed with Epilepsy, he wasn't sure what could happen to her down on Veeloze 10. He turned back to Picard who was sitting in a chair at the end of the table.

"Sir, with all due respect. I'd like to organize a search party as soon as possible. With Laura's medical condition, she could've fallen and hit her head on something and might not be able to respond."

Picard nodded his head in agreement but sighed.

"I understand your urgency Number One, but nightfall has already fallen on the planet and we don't know the terrain. It's best if we wait until day break. Which won't be for another 20 hours. I had Data run a sensor sweep of the planet. Even if it were possible to beam down to the planet, there's some sort of storm blocking any sort of bio-signs. We will keep looking for a way to get down there. You have my word Will."

But twenty hours was too long. Will felt beat to the pulp by his wife's words. Her words rang in his ears as Picard dismissed everyone. _'You lost her! You lost my baby! You should've had a closer eye on her!' _Only twice in his life he'd ever heard such anguish in her voice. Bev was ushering her out of the conference room when she rushed back at her husband.

"Why didn't you have a better eye on her!?"

Bev grabbed ahold of her and ushered her out of the room.

"Hey Deanna, I need you to calm down. Don't need to put any more strain on that baby of yours. Let's go back to Sickbay and get you something to help you sleep huh?"

Deanna had already assumed the worst with there being 20 hours till the sun came up again. But not Will. He knew his little girl was still alive, and she needed their help.

"Daddy will find you baby. I promise."

He turned back to the window and watched the green planet that was Veeloze 10 slowly turning. He'd never give up until he brought his little girl home.


	2. Going Against Orders

**Going Against Orders**

Author: ZeusFluff.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Star Trek characters. But I do own Laura and the baby. Date Started: 6/17/14. Date Finished: 6/18/14. Summary: Will goes against orders and organizes a team of his own to rescue his daughter down on Veeloze 10. Hope you will all enjoy! Thanks!

* * *

"Bev lets go."

Doctor Crusher froze and stopped what she was doing and stared at him. An incredulous look crossing her face for a fraction of a minute.

"Go where Will?"

Even though she asked that question, she knew very well what he meant.

"Down to the planet. We're going to get my daughter back. You're coming with me. Bring a couple of nurses with you. I've already arranged for a security team and Worf to meet us in Transporter room 2. If the window closes before we reach the transporter room, we'll have to take 2 shuttles down to the planet. Come on lets go."

Crusher was quick to grab a med kit and assembled a small medical team. Right now he didn't give a damn about orders. All he wanted was to get to his daughter. With a phaser tucked into the pocket of the waist band of his uniform pants on the left, his tricorder was in the other pocket on the right. Having kissed his wife and promising to bring back their daughter, he walked out of Sickbay with a purpose and a confident stride in his walk. He got into the turbolift with Bev and the two nurses. Bev broke the silence permeating the lift as it made its way to the transporter room.

"Will I want you to be prepared. When we find Laura, we don't know what condition she might be in, or if she's had an Epileptic seizure or not."

Will nodded and did his best to swallow the knot in his throat.

* * *

Opening her eyes, Laura licked her lips. She was thirsty. She was still cold. Sitting up, she put her tiny hands in the water and scooped up some and drank. The water didn't taste very good, but she was so thirsty. She spit out the last mouthful and sat down on the rock and shivered some more.

"Yucky. Daddy where are you!?"

Looking around, she could barely make out anything. The outline of trees. She was trying to see if she could find the flower fields that she'd picked mommy's flowers from. But it was just too dark. She saw light not too far off from where she was sitting and voices yelling for her.

"…Laura Jane Riker-Troi! Where are you?"

It was her daddy's voice. He sounded really scared. Laura tried to stand, but she was too tired, cold and wet from falling into the lake.

"DADDY!"

The lights began to bounce off the flowing fields in front of her and she heard bushes rustling. Getting scared, she huddled on the rock and lie back down and shut her eyes. She heard her daddy's voice again, but didn't open her eyes because she thought she was only dreaming.

"Oh my god Laura! Doctor I found her over here! She's by the lake!"

Laura felt strong arms lift her from the rock. Strong and loving arms. This was a bittersweet moment. She heard another voice that she knew, but she didn't want to open her eyes. She shivered again.

"Hypothermia is already setting in. Looks like she fell into the lake. No obvious head injuries I can detect. Looks like she had a small seizure, but it wasn't related to her condition. She's got traces of water in her lungs. That's strange. Let's get Laura back up to the ship and out of these wet clothes and warmed up."

Riker held back the bittersweet tears that were threatening to fall down his face as he carried his daughter through the corridors of the _Enterprise _towards Sickbay. He'd fulfilled his promise to his wife that he'd get Laura back, and he had. Crewman here and there gave him looks of surprise, others relief. He looked into Laura's dirtied face and smoothed away the messy locks from it.

"Daddy's got you now baby. You're safe."

Once in Sickbay, nurses quickly got Laura out of her wet clothes and into a warming blanket so that she could warm up. Will never left her side. This was a bittersweet moment indeed. He was never going to let her out of his sight again. He was startled when he found he could hear a single thought come from Laura's unconscious mind.

'Flowers for mommy.'

His eyes wandered to the vase with an array of flowers Laura had picked for Deanna. Smiling, he reached down at kissed the crown of her temple. He'd found his little girl, and brought her back. She was safe. A smile danced on his lips, this was the first time he could ever hear his little girl's thoughts.

To Be Continued...


	3. Safe and Sound

**Safe and Sound**

Author: ZeusFluff

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Star Trek characters. But I do own Laura and the baby. Date Started: 6/18/14. Date Finished: 6/18/14. Hope you will all enjoy! Thanks!

* * *

She was warm. Laura felt there was a blanket on top of her. Then a hand on her head. She smiled. She was dreaming of jumping into her daddy's arms. She wanted to be a soaring bird in the blue skies of Alaska.

'Daddy'.

* * *

'Daddy.'

There it was again. Her tiny voice inside his head. Riker wondered if it compared to the feeling of tiny feet fluttering inside a womb. He wondered if Deanna could hear the thoughts of their youngest who had yet to come into the world. Bev had given her an 8 hour sedative so that she could get her rest. He'd found Laura in four hours, so she'd be asleep for another 4. Bev smiled as she walked over towards the pair.

"She must be having a good dream. Down to business. I'd like to keep her here for the next few days. Her condition is improving, but not enough to send her home yet. Her core body temperature isn't back up to 37 degrees Celsius. I'd like to keep her in a heated blanket for the next few hours, so that we can bring her temperature back up. I want to get her on some fluids and some food into her. She's very dehydrated Will. We're lucky we found her in time."

Will only nodded his head and smoothed a piece of messy hair from Laura's face.

"She spoke to me you know. Laura did."

Bev raised her eyebrows but gave a surprised smile.

"You mean the way Deanna talks to her? Telepathically?"

Will nodded his head and smoothed more hair from Laura's still-pale face.

"Yes. We've never had that connection before. Laura and I. It was a connection that was always between her and Deanna. But my guess would be that since this has happened, the connection seemed to reach me because there was a crisis. It's an amazing feeling, one I wish that you could experience. She just reached out and spoke to me in her sleep. I wonder if it compares to the feeling of tiny feet fluttering inside a womb? A telepathic version anyways."

Crusher gave a small laugh and continued scanning Laura with her tricorder.

"Telepathically speaking, I wouldn't know what that feels like. The idea does fascinate me though. If I were able to hear Wesley's words without him speaking to me, we'd have a much closer bond than we share now. Too bad it doesn't work with other humans."

A few tears slid down Riker's face as he watched his daughter sleep. Her face changed from serene to worry lines creasing her face. Her tiny mind tickled his again. Her voice filled with worry.

'Daddy why are you crying?'

He shook his head and kissed Laura's forehead.

"Daddy's just happy you're safe."

The worry lines disappeared from Laura's forehead and she sighed.

'Lily says she's coming soon daddy. She told me.'

Riker's face paled and then lit up with a bright smile.

"When baby girl?"

A smile spread across Laura's face.

'Soon daddy.'

Will gasped as he saw images of Laura jumping into his arms. He was catching her. She was soaring like a bird under the clear blue skies of Alaska. Bev became concerned.

"What is it Will? Are you alright?"

Nodding he smiled.

"It was a little jarring at first. Like being pulled into an undercurrent of water in the ocean or a riptide. She's dreaming of me catching her under the blue summer skies of Alaska. She also said that Lily is ready to make her appearance soon."

Bev was again a little confused.

"I don't understand… How does she know that?"

Riker chuckled and smoothed more hair from Laura's face, his face.

"She can hear Lily's thoughts too."

Another smile spread across Crusher's face.

"You have quite the family Will Riker. Sometimes I envy you."


	4. Insubordination

**Insubordination**

Author: ZeusFluff

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Star Trek characters. But I do own Laura and Lily. Date Started: 6/19/14. Date Finished: 6/209/14. Hope you will all enjoy! Thanks!

* * *

Picard strolled into Sickbay. Riker knew that he was in trouble. Bev continued examining Laura who could feel her daddy's discomfort and began to cry. Crusher's eyes softened more and tried to comfort the crying child.

"Hey, hey. Shh. It's alright."

Laura only cried more. A sinking feeling began to form a pit in Doctor Crusher's stomach. But she wasn't quite sure why. Something seemed off about this whole situation. She knew that the captain was going to have a talk with her when he was done with Will. She continued trying to comfort Laura's anguished cries.

"Laura, sweetie, it's alright. There's nothing to be scared of."

"Insubordination Will! That's what you're looking at for disobeying my orders. You're lucky I don't put you in for a court martial as well! You disobeyed my direct orders and went down to the planet without my express permission! I said that we'd find another way to get your daughter back Will! But your stubbornness led you down to the planet to find her!"

Will looked slightly haggard as he sat in a chair across from Picard. Swallowing, he tugged at the collar of his uniform shirt. Calmly, he explained his stance.

"With all due respect sir, 20 hours was too long to wait. With Laura's medical condition, it was imperative that we found her when we did. Did Doctor Crusher give you a report on her condition? We found her shivering on a rock by a lake, soaking wet. She'd fallen into the lake and afterwards suffered a seizure, but not related to her condition. She's still suffering from Hypothermia. The doctor has her in a heating blanket now. How could I have let her out of my sight?"

Before Picard could speak, Crusher appeared in the doorway to her office, a look of uncertainty on her face.

"Sorry to interrupt your heated conversation you two, but Will I can't get Laura to calm down. She's very scared."

Will started to rise from his chair, and Picard nodded his head.

"Go ahead Number One. Go to your daughter."

Sighing in relief, Riker nodded and exited Crusher's office.

* * *

Laura reached out for her daddy as she cried louder.

"Hey baby, what's the matter huh?"

Riker scooped Laura up into his arms and she buried herself into his uniform shirt and didn't let go. A sinking feeling took hold of him as Laura suddenly went completely slack in his arms and her cries stilled. His mind screamed that something was wrong. The sinking feeling didn't go away.

To Be Continued…


	5. Waterlogged

**Waterlogged**

Author: ZeusFluff.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Star Trek characters. But I do own Laura and Lily. Date Started: 6/21/14. Date Finished: 6/21/14. Hope you will all enjoy! Thanks!

* * *

The sinking feeling that had begun to form in the pit of his stomach just minutes earlier was threatening to drag him lower, but he kept his head above the raging current. He was becoming frantic, but he tried to remain calm.

"Laura honey, open your eyes and look at daddy."

The pit in his stomach only gnawed at him further. Laura's head lulled slightly. Bev was quick to get to the two on the bio bed.

"What happened Will?"

Riker shook his head and shifted Laura.  
"I don't know doctor. One minute she was crying and burying her head in my uniform and then she just went completely slack in my arms. Is it another seizure? One connected to her condition?"

Bev shook her head no and her eyes began to widen.

"What in the world? Where is all this water coming from?"  
Immediately, Riker looked to the floor below him, and when he found none, his eyes came to meet Crusher's, confusion etched in them.

"I don't see any water. What's going on?"

Crusher turned her tricorder towards him with her eyes still wide and began to explain to him what was happening.

"All this water that's filling her lungs. Her lungs are essentially waterlogged. When I scanned her down on the planet, she had trace amounts of the lake water in her lungs. But now it's filling her lungs. We have to get her into surgery and pump all the water out before she drowns. I'll allow you to sit by her side, but I want you in sterile dressings. Got it?"

Will nodded his head vigorously as he gave Laura to a nurse. He was doing his best to hide his fear. But Laura's face was so pale.

* * *

Riker was quiet as Crusher and five other doctors worked on his little girl. He placed a kiss to the crown of her head. He sent a thought to her, hoping beyond hope that she'd respond.

'Daddy is here sweetheart.'

He waited for a minute or two, and when he heard nothing in return, his heart sank. His eyes wandered to the strange tubing that went down her throat and into her lungs. The sound of water emptying out into some machine he'd never seen before assaulted his ears like a loud waterfall. He smoothed her thick curly hair away from her pale face. He listened to Bev speak to one of the nurses off to the side.

"I want you to keep her oxygen levels steady. Stand by with 5cc's of Tricordrizine in case of Epileptic seizure."

The nurse nodded and placed a monitoring device on Laura's chest. Will clasped his hand inside Laura's and traced a star into her palm with his left index finger.

"When you wake up, daddy has a surprise for you. Daddy has a picture of your little sister. You've been asking me when you could see her. When you wake up, I'll show you."

Crusher looked at the container on the floor collecting the water.

"Ok, the water is almost drained people. I want her on 100 percent oxygen until her lungs have dried and she can acclimate and breathe on her own. I wish I knew where all this water came from."

Shaking her head she watched the monitors tracking Laura's vitals. Riker looked at her with wide eyes as she kept checking the monitors.

"Do you think she could've ingested more water than what you detected with your tricorder down on the planet?"

Bev shook her head in uncertainty. She didn't know what to think anymore.

"We just don't know Will. She could've been in that water longer than we think. But the good thing here is that her vitals are coming back up. Her pulse is steady, her breathing is coming back up with the help of the stimulator on her chest. There is also something called a 'second drowning.' If a child falls into water and a parent reaches in quickly to get them out, even if they don't look to be suffering any ill effects, they can still have problems at least 30 minutes after their encounter with the water. This may be the case with Laura."

Riker shook his head seriously and spread his hands.

"But Laura's known how to swim since she was 8 months old."

Bev sighed and began to remove the tubing from Laura's throat.

"That may be Will, but it can happen to any child who falls into water."

Will winced as he watched the tubing come out of Laura's mouth.

"Does that hurt her?"

Crusher shook her head no.

"She's sedated and under pain medication. She shouldn't be feeling a thing."

Riker nodded and watched Laura take in a breath and let it out. All the monitors evened out their tones and continued rhythmically tracing Laura's vitals. His mind went back to the day of her birth. There had been no doctors with him and Deanna. Only _him. _He'd wanted to take a trip to the abandoned Alcatraz Museum. Having always wanting to see it as a boy, he took his then very heavily pregnant wife with him. Communications had been blocked inside the old prison itself because of the various metals. Laura made her debut into the world in an old cell long before they'd reached the outside of the building. By now they had moved to a recovery room. Bev caught him daydreaming.

"You've got a lot on your mind Will. Out with it."

Will smiled and watched as Laura slept.

"I was just remembering the day she was born. I never should've taken Deanna to the old Alcatraz Museum with me. She shouldn't have had to give birth to Laura in that old prison cell."

Bev only gave Will a warm smile.

"Look Will, you did everything right. Most people when they take the Starfleet Emergency course don't remember what to do in a situation. You did. You delivered your daughter, and she came out beautifully. Basic medical training from the Emergency course helped you through it."

A nurse came into the recovery room with a hurried expression on her face.

"Commander, Counselor Troi is asking for you."

Placing a kiss on Laura's head once more, he left the room and went out into Main Sickbay where his wife was. She'd woken up and was sitting up, her legs swung over the edge of the bed.

"This is it. The baby's coming."

A/N: Since a few of my readers want more, I'll add one last chapter. It'll be a doozy. Birth scene might take up anywhere between 12-16 pages, but I feel its necessary, its closer to real life that way.


End file.
